4 Tips to Increase Conversions on Your Online Giving Page

Digital giving has quickly become a necessity in the world of church tithing and donations. One of the most useful resources in this category is an online giving page, but many ministry leaders aren’t using them effectively. A donation page that’s not optimized for conversions is almost as bad as having no page at all. 

Fortunately, there are easy ways to fix common mistakes on these pages. In fact, those who implement just the following four strategies for their online giving pages should see an immediate increase in conversions. 

1. Simplify Your Online Giving Page

All of the best online donation pages have one thing in common: simplicity. This doesn’t necessarily mean their visual design isn’t impressive. In fact, the visuals on your page will play a significant role for increasing conversions. What does need to be simplified, however, is the entire giving process. 

The online giving pages for nonprofit organizations have an abandonment rate ranging from 50-70 percent. In many cases, visitors take one look at the page and leave because it looks too complex for them. Keep things simple. Streamline your giving form so you can collect a donation with as little information as possible. 

Your ministry’s giving page isn’t the appropriate avenue for donor surveys. You can focus on that after your first donation. Take a look at how these surveys are utilized within the DonorWerx Framework for a better understanding of when using these resources is suitable.

2. Utilize Effective Design Elements

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just toss up a blank online giving page and congregants would flock to it? Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. Without an appealing design that conveys authority and trust, you’re unlikely to get the conversion rates your ministry deserves. Utilize the following donation page design tips to get ahead of the game:

• Prominent donation button. 
• Consistent branding and themes. 
• Minimize clutter and information overload. 
• Utilize high-quality video and images.
• Offer options for the giving amount and targeted missions. 
• Keep important information “above the fold.” 

Other than these important elements, online giving pages really only need a compelling story and easy-to-complete donation form. Remember that simplicity is the goal while conveying necessary information. 

3. Offer Text-to-Give Options

No matter how simple you make your online giving page, some people will still cringe at the idea of filling out information on a computer. After all, the majority of online access now occurs via mobile devices. Even mobile-friendly pages may turn off some potential donors due to insecurity about their information. This is where Text-to-Give options become important. 

The goal of your online giving page should be to get conversions then and there, but a quick donation via text doesn’t hurt either. Include the number and keyword that congregants need to use right on the giving page. They’ll eventually still have to enter their information, but once they take the time to send a text, they’re more fully committed and conversions are likelier. 

4. Add Share Buttons on “Thank You” Pages

We have a ton of suggestions in our Creating Online Donation Pages Guide, but one of the best things you can do actually occurs after donors visit this page. Whenever someone makes a donation, a “Thank You” page should automatically pop up to show gratitude for the contribution. Creators of the best online giving pages ensure this subsequent screen has social share buttons. 

Featuring these simple buttons is a great way to increase conversions. Studies have shown that around one-third of all nonprofit website traffic comes directly from social media. And since people love telling others when they’ve contributed to causes that matter to them, these social share buttons are a powerful tool in eliciting additional contributions. 

This simple conversion tactic only needs to be set up once, so there’s no excuse for not utilizing it!

Make Your Online Donation Page Work For You!

Even before a global pandemic made digital giving an unavoidable asset for churches across the globe, congregants were already shifting towards a more virtual way of tithing. This is why your online giving page is so essential. Getting people to the page is only half the battle, but with the tips we’ve provided today, you can quickly turn potential donors into long-term givers. 

By combining the communication and branding strategies provided in the DonorWerx Framework, you can easily take a fledgling online donation page and turn it into a reliable source of revenue for your ministry. Schedule a free Discovery Call with us today to find out how!